It's A Small World
by ehjulstrom
Summary: Future fic- Rory meets someone from the past...


Rory smiled at the concessions worker before grabbing the bag and turning to find a table. Blowing a stray wisp of hair out of her face, she began moving toward a table that a family was vacating, only to stop when an unfamiliar voice called her name. Impatiently pushing the offending piece of hair away again, she swung around only to gape in shock at the person in front of her. "Dean?" she questioned, surprised not only at his presence, but also at the incongruity of the figure and the venue.  
He smiled and took a step closer. "Hey, Rory! Long time, no see. How have you been?"  
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she answered, "I'm great, Dean, how about you? And what brings you to Disney World?" Rory smiled and motioned for Dean to follow as she continued toward the empty tables.  
"Oh, Clara invited me to come. She and Chris brought their daughter, Elizabeth, down. It's her first time, and I thought it would be fun to regress a little. All work and no play makes Dean a crazy guy," he finished with a grin.   
Rory rolled her eyes. "I definitely know the feeling; this is the first vacation I've had since the summer." She quickly glanced around the cafeteria-like area before focusing her attention back on the man sitting across from her.  
Dean leaned forward. "So why Disney World for you, Rory?"   
"Similar reason to yours, actually," she began. "Couldn't resist a five-year old's pleas to see Mickey Mouse in person." Smiling, she looked around again. "Speaking of, I have to go meet her in a couple minutes. It's been great seeing you, Dean."  
Her companion halted her movements. "Rory, I'd love to see you again, if you have spare time while you're here, or when you get home, whenever..." He trailed off at Rory's shift of attention. Dean turned to see a child sprinting toward them.  
"I went on Space Mountain and wasn't scared at all, Mommy, just like I said!!" she excitedly informed Rory. "And Grandma screamed all the way!"  
Rory rolled her eyes humorously. Remembering her company, she swung the child around to face a now confused Dean. "Hey, Lors, this is my friend Mr. Dean. He used to live in my neighborhood when I was little. Dean, this is Lorelai number four, also known as Lori." She paused for a moment, knowing he wouldn't appreciate the last remark. "My daughter."  
Dean was dumbfounded. "Oh...hi," he stammered to the hyper toddler and her mother both.  
"Hi Mr. Dean! Did you go on Space Mountain yet? You should, it's so much fun, and not too scary." Lori babbled, until her mother gently shushed her.  
"Where's grandma, sweetie?" Lori pointed to the building across the road, and Rory spotted her mother. "Why don't you go ask her to come over and get her coffee." Lori smiled at the joke and ran off to drag Lorelai over.  
Averting her eyes, Rory bit her lip before addressing her ex-boyfriend. "Dean, I really do have to go before Lori drives me insane or her brother does the same to..." She paused uncomfortably.  
Dean almost choked on the fact that she was married. He never thought that she would make the same mistake as her mother, but the fact that her children's father was Rory's husband, and was here, had never had the chance to enter her mind, and the fact that he didn't know anything about Rory's family stunned him. Just then Lorelai and Lori returned.   
"Look, Mommy, Grandma found Daddy and Luke, so we brought them too!!" Lori cleared a way for the rest of her family to be seen. Rory momentarily closed her eyes, anticipating the shock value seeing the extended Gilmore family would have on Dean. Lorelai started when she saw Rory's companion, but quickly recovered and smiled, greeting Dean with a hug. Rory sighed with relief when Dean smiled back, but her heart sank when his smile was replaced by a scowl.  
"Tristan." The mentioned man straightened up, turning at the vaguely familiar voice. He allowed a smirk to flit across his lips, but quickly suppressed it and nodded at Dean. Tristan hoisted the boy Dean assumed to be Luke up and walked up, hand outstretched. Dean gave him an incredulous look, but scrutinizing the changed demeanor, slowly took Tristan's hand and shook it.  
"I certainly wasn't expecting to see you here, Dean," Tristan stated, handing his squirmy son to his mother, who sat the children down before leaving Lorelai in charge and joining the conversation again.  
"The feeling's mutual, trust me." Dean's reply made Rory wince, but the lack of physical violence was comforting. "Listen, Rory, I'm gonna go. I'm supposed to meet Clara and Lizzy in a couple minutes. It was great talking to you." His smile to Rory was genuine. Turning to Tristan, he nodded, adding, "Never forget that you are the luckiest guy in the world."  
"I won't," was the blond's simple reply. Hearing the sincerity in his former nemesis' voice, Dean nodded again, turned and walked off.  
Rory watched him until he turned the corner before circling to face her husband. "Thank you," she said, wrapping her arms around Tristan and watching Lorelai play with her food with the kids.   
Smiling, Tristan pulled her closer. "He's changed, you know. You seem to have that effect on people," he teased, keeping an arm around her and walking to the table. 


End file.
